


The Escape

by bluejaythebeautiful



Series: (Not so) Weekly Writing Challenge [2]
Category: Suicide Squad (2016), The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Magic, Alternate Universe - Tangled (2010) Fusion, Author Appears, Barry is a head guard, Bars and Pubs, Because January is 'put yourself in a fic' month, But only Griggs, But people call him that anyway, Canoe on a Canoe, Character Death, Chris has magic hair, Digger hates the name Dugger, George brings the teams together, Griggs is a dick, I Don't Even Know, M/M, Rick is a horse, Sarcasm, Stealing, and Dugger for like a minute, i have to start everything, including me, why isn't there a slash tag for these guys already
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-14
Updated: 2017-01-14
Packaged: 2018-09-17 12:23:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 13,790
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9323393
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bluejaythebeautiful/pseuds/bluejaythebeautiful
Summary: Just outside of Central Kingdom, there was a tower. One that no one could find if they tried.What happens when a wanted thief discovers it by accident?Why, adventure and romance, of course!





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hey, guys! This is the second installment in my Weekly Writing Challenge! I pulled long hours to get all of this done, and finally finished the last chapter today. I hope you enjoy!

In all honesty, Chris had thought he had gotten away with _ this  _ one. It wasn’t  _ his _ fault he was an orphan, that he needed to steal to survive, but you’d think after three years of experience he’d be able to steal a few apples or something.

 

But, nope.

 

He was caught, and thrown into Central Kingdom’s jail.

 

Well, the one for kids. And it wasn’t gonna be long until he managed to get out of there, not with his skills. 

 

He stared up at the wall at the far edge. Maybe if he took a running jump, he could propel his four foot frame up to the top-

 

“Hey! What are you doing back there?”

 

Chris spun around to see a boy his age walking up to him. “What does it matter to you?” he asked, crossing his arms. 

 

The boy stopped in front of Chris, looking down. “I’ve already tried to escape that way. You’ll get in more trouble.” Almost subconsciously, he raised a hand to his black eye. “It gets bad.”

 

“Oh. Thanks for the info.” He turned to leave, but the boy grabbed his shoulder.

 

“Wait, what’s your name? Can’t just leave without it. I’m George.” George smirked, taking in Chris’s expression. “We can work together.”

 

Chris yanked his shoulder away from George. “It’s Chris. And… Fine. How do you want us to work together?”

 

“We’ll jump the fence in a different place, duh. We’ll have to wait till this is healed-” George pointed to his eye again- “so I can see, but it shouldn’t take to long.” 

 

“There’s no need to wait,” Chris said, pulling one of his braids over his shoulder. “Do you promise not to tell anyone?”

 

George looked bewildered. “Depending on what it is,” he said, watching Chris unravel his braid. 

 

The light brown hair fell to Chris’s waist before he bundled it up. “I have this weird power,” he said, raising his hair. “Lean down so I can reach your eye.”

 

“I’m not sure what’s going on, but okay,” George said as he complied. He nearly recoiled in shock when Chris’s hair lit up, the bundle becoming the brightest part. When he felt his eye, he found that it was, in fact, healed. “How?”

 

Chris shrugged as he dropped the hair. “I was born with it. I don’t know why, but it heals people.”

 

“That’s so cool!” George said, grinning. “We could use it when we get outta here!”

 

Unbeknownst to them, a guard had watched the entire exchange. Griggs knew that magic hair like that could be a benefit, and that it needed to be protected. He also remembered the tower just outside the kingdom. If he could convince the kid to go with him… He emerged from his hiding spot and went over to the pair. “Alright, Christopher, your time is up. It’s time to go.”

 

Chris jumped and turned to the adult. “Is George’s time up, too? Can he come?”

 

“Yeah, one minute I’m playin’ mahjong with me mum, and then the head guard’s kid busts in and demands I come with ‘im!” George protested. “I shouldn’t  _ be _ here!” He then realized who Griggs was and gasped, hiding behind Chris.

 

Griggs looked over at him, shaking his head. “Bartholomew caught you stealing jewelry from an old lady’s shop. You’re staying here.” He placed a hand on Chris’s shoulder. “Come on.”

 

“Bye, George,” Chris said, waving to the other boy. “Maybe we’ll see each other again when you get out of here.”

 

“Maybe,” George sighed. He waved back, watching Griggs lead Chris out of the yard. 

 

As soon as they reached the street, Griggs stopped and crouched down to Chris’s level. “Hey, I saw what you did with George’s eye. I won’t tell anyone, but I do know that if you want to keep it a secret, it’s a good idea to find a place away from everyone else to stay.”

 

Chris nodded. “Only you and George know about it,” he said. “Do you know where I can stay?”

 

“I’ve got a place in mind,” Griggs said, smiling. “Come on.” He led Chris to the tower, and Chris had loved it so much, he had accepted Griggs’s offer to live with him.

 

Years passed. Chris grew older, and as he continued to use his power to heal Griggs’s various cuts and bruises from being a guard, his hair grew. Eventually, he took the braids out, and he was able to use it to pull Griggs into the tower through the window. He forgot about George, and his old life. He didn’t even notice that Griggs had stopped aging.

 

Chris did, however, sometimes long for the outside world. But every time he asked to leave, Griggs told him about the terrible people.

 

“They’ll try to steal your hair,” he always said. “Remember what happened when someone tried that? What they did?”

 

The memories of his five year old self would come flooding back- his parents being murdered just so that they could get to Chris. They had cut a chunk of hair away, hoping that they could take his magic, but when it turned black and stopped working, the two men had fought over what to do next. Chris escaped from their clutches and began his life of poverty, never forgetting what they had done to him.

 

And every time he thought about them, he decided not to go. Griggs always seemed strangely relieved, saying that it was for the best, since Chris couldn’t defend himself in the slightest. (He didn’t know that Chris had made a punching bag, threw knives in his free time, and trained himself to fight.) 

 

George, or Digger, as he was now known as, became a professional thief. Thanks to the training he received from none other than Leonard Snart and Mick Rory, he could steal just about anything. 

 

And now, he was after the royal diamonds.

 

“Look at that view, guys!” He slid to the edge of the rooftop, staring out over the kingdom. “I want a castle.”

 

Len climbed over the edge to join Digger. “Well, if we pull this off, you can buy ten castles.” He pushed Digger’s shoulders. “Keep going.”

 

Digger scowled at his mentor and jumped over to the next roof. “It’d be easier if you wouldn’t bug me.” He took off, not waiting up for Len or Mick. 

 

Finally, the three reached the part of the castle that held the diamonds. Mick used his flame-infused sword to cut a hole in the wooden roof, and Digger tied a rope around his waist. 

 

“Wish me luck,” he said before jumping in.

 

Seven guards, all facing the door, surrounded the display. Digger scooped everything into his satchel, then recognized the guard directly in front of him. As Mick and Len pulled him to the roof, he shouted, “Thanks, Barry!” He smirked as the everyone turned around, saw him, and began running towards the door.

 

“Why in the  _ hell _ did you do that?” Mick yelled as soon as Digger reached them. “You’re gonna get us all caught!”

 

Digger shrugged and put the satchel on. “Fun of the chase. Come on, or they will.” He began running away, jumping down to the ground so he wouldn’t fall. “Let’s go into the woods, it’ll be harder to find us!”  

 

Len and Mick glanced at each other. “He has a point,” Mick said, before following Digger, pulling Len with him as he saw guards rounding the corner. 

 

Digger stopped by a tree, grabbing a poster off of it. “Oh no. This is bad, very bad.”

 

“What?” Len asked, exasperated. He was tired, and he just wanted to sell their loot and go.

 

“They can’t get my mustache right!” Digger held up his own wanted poster, pointing at the ridiculously curled mustache they had drawn on him. “Your posters are perfect!”

 

Mick rolled his eyes. “It’ll be worse if we don’t get going _ , Dugger _ .” 

 

“Don’t call me that,” Digger said as he stuffed the poster into his bag. “You’re right, we have much bigger problems.” He jumped over a log and ran off, having noticed the head guard racing towards him.

 

Barry leaned forward on his horse. “I’ll get Digger. Cisco, get Snart. Jefferson, you go after Rory! Come on, Rick!” The three split, Barry catching up on Digger too quickly for the thief’s tastes. 

Digger saw a vine hanging only a few feet away. He used a rock to propel himself up, grabbing it and swinging himself around… and accidentally kicking Barry off of his horse. He landed into Barry’s place. “Awesome! Now, go!”

 

The horse skidded to a stop, nearly throwing Digger off. He didn’t listen to Digger’s requests, but when he saw what Digger had, he began reaching for the satchel.

 

“Oh, no, you don’t!” Digger said as he struggled to keep the bag away from Rick’s mouth. “This is mine!” 

 

Rick neighed and jumped around to get at a better angle. Unfortunately, when he grabbed the bag, it started a tug-of-war that flung the bag onto tree branch, hanging precariously over a cliff.

 

Digger jumped off immediately to go after it, rushing towards the trunk. He didn’t expect Rick to grab his boot and trip him, nor to almost fall and end up holding onto the trunk for dear life. He managed to grab the satchel just as it fell, but his weight combined with Rick’s caused the sideways tree to break.

 

The trunk split when it hit an outcropping of rock. Digger was thankfully sent far away from Rick, but he knew that he could be found at any moment. He noticed some vines hanging down over what seemed to be an opening. Curious, he went in.

 

A magnificent tower sat in the middle of a large clearing. It looked to be abandoned, with moss growing over the stones. It was perfect. Except for the fact that there was no way in.

 

“Finally. Get t’ use these babies,” Digger said as he pulled two boomerangs out of his jacket. Len had forbade him from using them on this mission, but he had no choice. He ran up to the tower and began climbing.

 

As soon as he made it up to the window, he slammed the shutters closed. “All mine,” he said as he pulled a diamond out of his satchel.

 

Then, everything went black with a burst of pain.


	2. Chapter 2

Still pointing his frying pan at the unconscious form on the floor, Chris backed up until he hit the wall. He realized that Griggs probably wouldn’t be happy with this, and sighed. He crept closer.  _ This guy’s lucky I was washing dishes, _ he thought as he studied the man’s face.

 

He was heavy, Chris hadn’t expected that. He managed to move him to the closet and shut the doors, setting a chair underneath to keep it closed. “Who the hell was that?” he muttered, brushing his hair back from his face. He spotted the abandoned satchel and walked over to it. 

 

Dumping it out, he discarded the folded paper and focused on the jewels that tumbled out. “Hmm. This is weird,” he said as he held one up to the light. He watched it glint and throw beams around. 

 

“Christopher! Throw down your hair!” 

 

Chris looked up as he heard his father’s voice. “Shit!” He threw the diamonds and paper back into the satchel, and it into a pot by the wall. He opened the shutters, looping his hair around the bar that stuck out just above the window. “Hold on!” 

 

Griggs stared up, crossing his arms as he waited. As soon as the noose at the end of Chris’s hair reached him, he grabbed it and put his foot into the loop. He felt himself be pulled up, and when he could, he grabbed the window sill and sat on the edge. “What took so long?”

 

“It was just like every other time, Father,” Chris answered, pulling his hair all the way in. He kept his eyes down as he fixed the noose. 

 

Griggs huffed. “Every time must be slow then, by your logic.” He hopped inside. “I’m going to go start lunch.”

 

“Wait, I have to tell you something.” Chris walked to the closet. “You know how you’ve always said that it would be a bad idea for me to leave, and that I’d never be able to defend myself?”   
  


Griggs stopped in his tracks, back stiffening. “Mmhmm. You know how I’m always right? Drop it.”

 

“But, I swear, if you let me explore, I’ll only be gone for a couple of days! I’ll be fine! I can show you!” Chris laid a hand on the chair. “Something happened today, and-”

 

“I told you last week, you’re not leaving!” Griggs turned around, fury in his eyes. “Stop bothering me about it!” 

 

Chris stepped back, moving his hand. “I’m sorry.” He sighed, glancing towards the closet. He tilted his head. “Hey, I’ve been thinking…” He walked to the kitchen, stopping just outside. “I’m kinda getting bored of my books, do you think you could get me some new ones? The ones from Gotham have the best quality.”

 

“Gotham? It’s a week away!” Griggs said, not looking at Chris. “You’re lucky your birthday is coming up. Fine, I’ll go get some.” He finally turned around. “As soon as we’re done here, will you heal me? I had to fight a thief today,” he lied. 

 

Chris nodded. “I’m not hungry,” he said, before turning to stand at the window. He watched the sun move over the hill, cloaking the tower in shadows. Ten minutes later, he heard Griggs sit in the large chair. 

 

“Quit brooding over there, Christopher. I’m not going to apologize for what I said, since I wasn’t even wrong.” Griggs grabbed the bit of hair that was closest to him and tugged. Smirking when it lit up, he wrapped it around his hand to let the magic flow into him. “Thank you. I better start out on the trip, so I can get back quickly. Promise not to leave?” He stood up and walked over to Chris.

 

“I promise,” Chris mumbled. He turned away, pretending to focus on getting his hair into position to lower Griggs down. “Have fun.”

 

Griggs grabbed ahold and got ready to slide down. “I hate leaving after a fight, but, what can you do? I’ll be back in a week. You can hold the fort down.” With that, he dropped, reaching the ground in record time and walking off towards the woods.

 

As soon as Griggs disappeared behind the vines, Chris raced towards the closet with the stranger inside. He looked at it for a moment, retrieved the frying pan (it would probably be a bad idea to kill this guy), then pulled the chair away. He carefully pulled the doors open, but apparently the man was still unconscious. Well, Chris could work with that.

 

The man ended up being tied to the chair, with the only thing Chris could think of to use- his hair. He climbed up to the rafters and waited for the man to wake up, which, thankfully, didn’t take long. 

 

“Where the hell am I? And what the hell is this?” the man said, looking around. “Is this…. Hair?”

 

“If you stop struggling, I might let you out,” Chris called down. He watched the man suddenly look up, his eyes searching the rafters of the tower. Chris climbed down to the floor, still holding out his frying pan. “I don’t know why you’re here, but I’m not afraid of you.”

 

The man squinted, trying to see who exactly Chris was. “What?” 

 

Chris sighed and walked slowly into the light, squaring his shoulders. “Who are you, and how did you find this place?” He brandished the frying pan, trying to look threatening. When the man didn’t answer, he narrowed his eyes. “Answer my questions.”

 

“I found the tower by accident, but… Damn. You’re cute. Hi.” The man smirked. “The name’s Digger Harkness. How’s your day going?”

 

“Who else knows about this tower, Dugger?” Chris asked, pointing the pan at Digger’s face. “I need to know.”

 

Digger rolled his eyes. “First off, it’s  _ Digger _ . Second off, I was running away from some people, found your tower, and- Where’s my satchel?” His voice got more and more worried as he continued on, frantically looking around.

 

“I’ve hidden it,” Chris said, crossing his arms. “You won’t find it. Ever.”

 

After a few glances around, Digger’s eyes landed on the pot by the wall. “It’s in there, isn’t it?” 

 

He supposed the second knockout was his prize for getting it right.

 

A few minutes later, he woke up again to cold water being splashed onto his face. He saw Chris standing in front of him, a smug look on his face. His dreaded pan was under his arm, and a bowl was just being placed on the floor.

 

“ _ Now _ I’ve hidden it where you’ll never find it,” Chris said, flipping his hair back. “So, what is it that you want with me? Or, rather, my hair? Cut it? Sell it?”

 

“Get out of it!” Digger said, pulling away from the back of the chair. “Literally!”

 

Chris stopped in his tracks. So, Digger didn’t fit the usual “type” of person Griggs always warned him about after he had moved in. “You don’t want my hair?”

 

“Why would I want your hair? Like I said, I was chased, saw your tower, climbed it. That’s it.”

 

Chris used his pan to move Digger’s chin. “You’re telling the truth?”

 

Another sigh from Digger. “Yes! Please, just let me go.”

 

After moving to stand in front of Digger, Chris finally set his pan on the floor. “Fine. I’ll make a deal. If you take me to see the kingdom, you can have your satchel back. We have a week.”

 

“The kingdom? You mean Central? I don’t think so. Besides, can’t you go yourself?” Digger retorted, leaning forward.

 

“All right, say I go myself. You don’t get your bag back,” Chris said simply. “Besides, I need a tour guide.” He leaned forward as well, bracing his hands on the arms of the chair. “You want your damn satchel back? Without my help, you're not getting it. That’s my deal.”

 

Digger shrugged and leaned back. “We go to the kingdom, I might get arrested. They don’t like me very much.”

 

Chris groaned. “What will it take? I made the decision to trust you-”

 

“A horrible decision, really.”

 

“-but trust  _ me _ when I say that even if you tear this tower down, you’re  _ never _ going to find your precious satchel without my help.” Chris straightened and crossed his arms again.

 

“I don’t even know your name!” Digger said, exasperated. 

 

A glance at Digger’s face told Chris that he was right. “Dammit. My name’s Chris. Happy?”

 

Digger sighed. “Yes. Lemme get this right, _ Chrust,  _ I take you to Central Kingdom, let you explore, then get you back here within a week and get my satchel back. Why a week?”

 

“That is none of your business,” Chris answered. “And it’s- oh.” Paybacks are hell. “Do we have a deal?”

 

“Fine. Don’t get mad if I’m taken away when we get there,” Digger said. He watched Chris unwrap the hair around his ankles. “Wait, how do we get down?”

 

Chris’s smirk when he looked up was a little unnerving. “Oh, you’ll see.” He took the loop off of Digger to let him go. “I haven’t done it yet, but I want to.”

 

“Do what? Should I be scared?” Digger stood and rubbed feeling back into his wrists. 

 

“Depends on how you feel about heights,” Chris said as he walked to the window. “Come here.”

 

Digger walked over, unsure. “What are you doing?”

 

“Step into this.” Chris held up the noose at the end of his hair. “Just a ride down. And when you get down there, hold it to the ground with your foot.” He moved it closer, as Digger had backed up.

 

“Fine. I trust that you won’t drop me,” Digger muttered as he stood on the windowsill. His knuckles were white as he gripped the hair. He shut his eyes as he was lowered, and was surprised that it didn’t take that long.

 

“Don’t let go!” Chris called out before he grabbed his hair and slid down. Apparently, Digger had freaked out at this, because he had caught Chris just before he hit the ground. “You can let me down, now.” 

 

Digger nodded quickly and set Chris on his feet. “Sorry. Come on.” He stalked off, leaving Chris to follow. 

 

Chris quickly caught up, putting his pan underneath his arm. “Thanks for taking up my deal. I haven’t been out of the tower for a very long time.”

 

“You’ve been out?” Digger asked, looking over at his companion.

 

“I don’t want to talk about it,” Chris mumbled, pulling his arms close. “It was a bad time for me.”

 

Okay, then. Digger looked forward again, moving aside a few branches to let Chris pass. “How’s your first time out so far?”

 

Chris looked up at the sky, thinking. “I’ve forgotten what it’s like out here, to be honest. I’m a little nervous for when we reach the kingdom.”

 

“I know a place where you can get used to people again,” Digger said. “I know all the locals, and it’s a great place to get lunch.” He wrapped an arm around Chris’s shoulders. “Trust me, like I trusted you earlier. It’ll take a while for us to get there, but it’s worth it.”

 

“Okay. I will. Let’s go there, I guess.”

 

////////////////////////////

 

Griggs grunted as he hopped a log. He  _ hated  _ going to Gotham, he really did. A week’s journey, and Christopher had _ insisted _ on those stupid books. He skidded on a patch of wet grass, spewing profanities. 

 

Suddenly, a horse jumped out from behind a rock. It neighed loudly, but apparently it wasn’t looking for Griggs.

 

“Hmm. Palace horse. Wait a minute. Where’s your rider?” Griggs stepped backwards, the worst scenarios running through his head. He dropped his basket and ran back to the tower, adrenaline powering him.

 

He slid to a stop in front of the tower. “Christopher! Christopher, let down your hair!” When he was left without an answer, he ran to the the hidden door in the side. He ripped the moss and weeds away and clambered through, quickly climbing up the ladder inside. He pushed the trapdoor open, rolled inside, and took in his surroundings. There was no sign that Christopher was still home, no answers to Griggs’s calls. 

 

“Christopher, please! Get down here!” Griggs said, running up the stairs. There was still nothing, nowhere that Griggs could find his charge. 

 

As he went down the stairs, he noticed a gleam on the wall, right across from the bottom step. He ripped the step away and saw a bag sitting in the bottom part, a diamond in the opening to cause the shine. A piece of paper was just underneath, so Griggs picked it up.

 

_ Wanted Dead Or Alive- Digger Harkness  _

 

Griggs dropped the poster in shock. He must have taken Christopher with him! Griggs couldn’t let his magic hair- ahem, his son- get away from him like that. He grabbed the satchel and stalked into his own room. He grabbed a dagger from his bedside table before going back to the trapdoor. “I will find him,” he muttered, not knowing if he was talking about Christopher or the thief, Digger. He slid down the ladder and began searching.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I tried to make a bit of a divide between Griggs and Chris the way Tangled did with Gothel- Griggs is a little more old-fashioned, always saying "Christopher", and he definitely focuses on the hair more. He's as much of an asshole here that he is in Suicide Squad.
> 
> Also, Dugger jokes galore. The Chrust thing came from an online convo I had with someone. Her typo made it here lmao


	3. Chapter 3

“Found it! Belle Reve Bar, the finest place to eat, chat, drink, do whatever you’d like!” Digger said with a flourish when the two reached the run-down building. Its roof stuck up at odd angles, and patches of different colored wood told its history of repairs.

 

Chris stopped at the edge of the path. “Doesn’t look like much,” he said, studying the building carefully. “Looks like shit.”

 

Digger put a hand over his heart in mock outrage. “Rude! Well, you have a point. But the patrons are great friends. Come on.” He lead Chris inside, slamming open the door. “Harley! Get this man a drink!”

 

All eyes were on the pair in an instant. Digger pulled Chris to the bar, where a man covered in tattoos and a man with what seemed to be scales were sitting. “Waylon, move over, let Chris sit with us,” Digger said, punching the scaled man’s arm.

 

Waylon grabbed the front of Digger’s shirt. “Don’t.”

 

“His temper’s been flaring lately. Be careful,” the tattooed man said, leaning around Waylon. “Who’s this?”

 

Chris pulled his hair closer. “I’m Chris. Don’t know what I’m doing here, but I am not sure how I like it.”

 

“Chato,” the other man said, before rapping his knuckles on the bartop. “Harley! Get over here, there’s a newcomer.” 

 

The bartender turned around, her high pigtails swishing. She spotted Chris and grinned. “Oh, hi! Love your hair, how’d you make it grow so long?” she said as she rushed over. “Harley Quinn, nice to meetcha.”

 

“It’s all natural,” Chris said, dropping his hair. “Didn’t even try.”

 

A tall man with shorn hair walked in, dropping into the seat next to Digger. “Sorry I was late. Mardon’s storm caused the roads to flood, I had to wait for it to die down.” He shot a glare at a blond man in the corner, who raised a drink with a smile at the darker-skinned man.

 

“Ahh, Floyd, you’ll get over it,” Digger said, patting his back. “Besides, you know he’s not responsible with his magic, he never has been.”

 

“Wait, magic?” Chris asked, trying to see where this “Mardon” man was now. “Oth- People can use that?”

 

Harley leaned over the counter, folding her arms in front of her. “Yeah, some people were born with magic, like Chato and Waylon.” She jerked her head towards the two, Chato lighting the tip of his finger on fire. “Lon can turn into a crocodile, it’s hella cool. But, there was this weird accident in Central Kingdom a few years ago.”

 

“The royal wizard had released a huge burst of magic that gave some people weird abilities,” Floyd interrupted. “Mark controls the weather, Roy controls emotions, Shawna teleports. And that’s just a few.” He looked around. “Roy’s the one painting the wall, Shawna’s encouraging it. Waller’s not going to be happy, but, they don’t listen.” He shrugged.

 

Digger laughed, downing a shot. “Wish  _ I _ had gotten something. I was in town when it happened.”

 

“You have the power of pissing people off, you can’t get anything else!” Floyd said immediately, slamming his hand down. “I thought you knew this!” 

 

Digger gasped in fake pain, standing up. “I don’t have to deal with this shit,” he said.

 

Chato covered his mouth in an attempt to stop snickering at Digger’s reaction. “What, are you leaving?” he asked.

 

“Yeah. Come on, Chris. Maybe the Rogues will be nicer.” Digger grabbed Chris’s arm and pulled him over to a woman leaning on the wall. “What’s up, Lisa?”

 

Before she could answer, the door flew open and a young man stumbled in. “There are guards coming!” he said, trying to catch his breath. 

 

“Axel, last time you did that, it was your dad visiting!” a brown haired man holding a rat yelled.

 

Axel straightened up and glared at him. “Hartley, he’s sitting _ right next to you _ ! I swear, I’m not lying this time!”

 

“My boy would  _ never _ lie when it comes to things like this. Besides, don’t you hear the hoofbeats?” an old man said, standing up from his seat next to Hartley. “Digger, I’d suggest you and your friend hide. I have a feeling they’re looking for you.”

 

Digger nodded, the sounds of horses growing closer. “Thanks, James,” he said before hopping the bar. “Chris, do you  _ want _ to get arrested? Come here!”

 

“Yeah, yeah, I’m coming,” Chris said sarcastically, throwing his hair over the bar and straight into Digger’s face. He climbed over and slid in next to the other man. “See? We’re fine.”

 

As he finished his sentence, five guards forced their way into the bar. A loud voice called out over the others.

 

“Where is Digger Harkness?”

 

////////////////////////////////

 

After hours of searching, Griggs had found nothing to even point him towards the location of Christopher. No footprints, no stray hairs. He emerged from the woods to see a bar, a safe place for weary travelers.

 

Griggs was considered a traveler, right? He shrugged away the thought and trudged down the hill to Belle Reve Bar.

 

Reaching the door, he looked inside to see who all was inside. Ruffians, thugs, an artist, apparently… He narrowed his eyes when he noticed a certain someone sitting at the bar, listening to the admittedly pretty bartender.

 

Christopher’s gaze shifted to the men next to him, laughing at something one of them must have said. He hadn’t noticed Griggs standing in the window. An ambu- a rescue was in order, but Griggs decided to wait for the right time to catch Christopher. He heard a man running down the path and rushed to hide on another side of the building.

 

A window shone in front of him, displaying everything inside. Griggs moved closer and peered through. He saw a man stand and say something, and then another jumped over the bar. That must have been the thief, since Christopher followed him easily. He saw the royal guards rushing in, and heard muffled shouting. Hmm. Better stay and see what’s going on.

 

/////////////////////////////////////

 

Barry’s voice rang out over the commotion, Digger wincing at the sound. He pulled the end of Chris’s hair underneath the bar, noticing that it was in the light. “What do we do?” he whispered.

 

Chris shrugged. “We’re screwed,” he admitted. “The guards just brought two people in. Who are they?” He was looking over the bar, and he glanced over when he noticed Digger had joined him.

 

“Shit! Get down, that’s Leonard and Mick. They don’t like me. We’re screwed, like you said.” Digger sat back under the bar and put his head in his hands.

 

“No, you’re not. Come here!” Harley dropped to join them under the bar. “Ms. Waller doesn’t know I put this in.” She reached up and pulled a tap with a diamond-shaped top, looking at the floor. Some of the boards fell down to reveal a passage. “It goes out to an abandoned dam,” Harley explained.

 

“Damn,” Digger said, smirking. “Thanks, Harley.” He crawled down, hearing Chris following closely. As soon as they both made it to the bottom, the door clanged shut behind them.

 

“We should probably get going,” Chris said, wrapping his hair over his shoulder. “Who knows if they’ll find this place?”

 

////////////////////////

 

Back in the bar, Axel had proudly presented James to the guards. “I believe  _ this _ is the man you’re searching for,” he said, holding up one of Digger’s wanted posters. This one had him with a braided mustache, beads on each end.

 

“Go on, arrest me. I’ve been caught.” James raised his wrists to Barry.

 

Barry glared at them both. “Lying like this can actually get you arrested, you know that, right?” he said. He looked up as Cisco clambered down the stairs.

 

“No sign of him up here. Jefferson?” Cisco looked over towards his other friend, who had managed to get a few drinks out of Harley.

 

“Nope!” Jefferson said after finishing his glass. “Nothing!” 

 

Sighing, Barry turned back to the prisoners. “All right, someone take Snart-” 

 

Before he could finish his sentence, a loud neighing sounded out. Rick burst in with his chest puffed out, looking around the bar. He sniffed the floor, then confidently strode over to the bar. 

 

“What’s he doing?” Cisco asked before his mouth was covered with Barry’s hand.

 

Rick pointed over the bar with his hoof. Not getting a response, he huffed and pushed the same beer tap that Harley had, revealing the little passage. 

 

Barry ran over. “He must have gone down there. Good eye, Rick!” He patted his horse’s shoulder, then jerked his head towards the passage. “Jefferson, Cisco, Oliver, you’re with me. Ray, you stay with the prisoners.” The four guards jumped over the bar and rushed in, Cisco shouting something about how  _ weird _ Barry’s horse was.

 

Len and Mick watched them go, then glanced at each other. “Mick, would you do the honors?” Leonard asked, tilting his head towards the unobservant Ray.

 

“Of course,” Mick said, his smirk turning into a grin. He headbutted Ray, knocking the guard out, then grabbed Ray’s spear. “Lisa, since you’re here, help us out?”

 

Lisa groaned and walked over. “You two were the ones who got you arrested,” she pointed out, breaking their chains with the spear. “What are you going to do, now that you’re ‘free’?”

 

“Go get the diamonds, of course,” Leonard answered. “You can stay here. I don’t need you getting in more trouble.” With that, Leonard climbed over the bar and followed the guards, Mick reluctantly following. Roy stopped him.

 

“Go get ‘im!” he slurred, his glasses falling off. Mick pushed the drunk man onto Mark, who grunted.

 

“Really?” Mark growled, watching Mick slide into the passage. “Leave him alone for  _ five minutes _ , the asshole gets drunk. And  _ I _ have to take care of the drunk ones. Why me?”

 

James laughed at Mark’s pain. “You hold your liquor the best, of course. It’s the only reasonable answer. Now, excuse me, I have business to attend to.” He breezed towards the front, clasping his hands behind his back.

 

“By business, you mean pranks, right?” Hartley asked, unamused.

 

“Of course! If you’re good at something, never stop! And never do it for free!” He winked at Axel, then pushed open the door.

 

The first thing he saw was an imposing man out of the corner of his eye, and noticed that he was at least five inches taller than James. “Oh, hello.”

 

Griggs raised an eyebrow. “I was wondering if you could tell me something,” he said.

 

“Of course. What do you need to know?” James smirked, but the look was wiped off of his face when a knife was pressed to his throat.

 

“Where does that passage lead?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> of course Mark's the best at holding his drink, what kind of Southerner can't? Also, Roy's painting in weird mismatched colors bc color blindness.   
> Some things that probably caused holes in the wall were probably Waylon throwing someone (Dugger) through, Mark did the Kool-Aid man thing, and Hartley's rats chewed through.  
> Floyd is sassy and I love him.  
> *shamelessly has trickster quote the good joker*


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let's play, "How many dam jokes can Jay fit into the dam chapter?" (Hint: We already have two :D)

 

Darkness pressed around them on all sides, almost suffocating in the silence. Chris was secretly relieved when Digger finally lit a match, and he grabbed a lantern to increase the light.

 

“Thanks, mate. Shouldn’t be too far, now,” Digger said.

 

Chris looked over at him, catching the worry in Digger’s voice. “We’re not going to get caught,” he said. “Not if we get out quick.”

 

Digger nodded, raising the lantern higher. “I’m hoping.” He rounded the sword that ominously stuck out of a skeleton on a wall, accidentally running into Chris. 

 

“Get off,” Chris said as he pushed Digger away. He swung his pan around a couple of times. “So, where’re you from?”

 

Digger scoffed. “I don’t do backstories. However, I’m getting interested in yours.” He glanced over and barely caught Chris’s look of panic before it disappeared. “I’m not gonna ask about the hair, but if you wanted to leave so badly… Why didn’t you? I mean, whatever's keeping you there is just playing mind games.” 

 

“What?” Chris furrowed his brows, confusion overtaking him.

 

“The ‘forced to stay in the tower’ crap. It ain’t real, mate. They’re trying to trap you in your own mind, but you look around, you’re free, brah,” Digger stated, shrugging.

 

Chris didn’t budge. “And how do you know this?”

 

“Trust me, all right? I know it’s a con. But, the question is, how’d  _ you _ fall for it? You don’t seem to be the kind of person to fall for stuff like that.” Digger raised an eyebrow. “Even in the short time I’ve know you, I can tell that.”

 

“Well, it’s a little hard to explain-” Chris began, but was cut off by shaking rocks and the sound of pounding feet. He turned around to see the four guards barreling their way down the tunnel, and vaguely registered Digger grabbing his arm before he took off. He grabbed most of his hair into a pile, leaving the end to trail behind him.

 

Digger turned a corner and saw light up ahead. He pushed Chris ahead of him before skidding to a stop at the edge of the rock, nearly falling into the dam. “We’re trapped!” he said, breathless. He noticed a cave near the bottom of the ravine covered with boards. “If we could get over there, we might escape!”

 

Suddenly, the boards burst into flame, and Mick stepped out of the hole. Leonard followed him with his usual nonchalant look. They immediately noticed Digger and Chris standing far above them, and ran to find somewhere to get to their level.

 

“They don’t seem to like you,” Chris commented, watching them dash underneath.

 

“No shit, Sherlock.” Digger’s voice was a low growl as he readied himself for a fight. Barry emerged from the tunnel first, closely flanked by his backup. “They don’t like me either.”

 

Rick came bounding in, shoving his way between Cisco and Oliver with ease. He lowered his head so that he could glare more efficiently at Digger.

 

“And the horse?” Chris asked, as a joke.

 

“Look, let’s just assume that everyone in here doesn’t like me. Got it?” Digger forced Chris to look at him, grabbing his shoulder. “Not many people do.”

 

Chris narrowed his eyes. “Hold my pan and watch this.” He shoved it into Digger’s hands and grabbed the end of his hair, throwing it expertly to wrap it around a broken support beam. He jumped off of the rock and swung to the other side. 

 

Digger watched him, taken aback.  _ He must have done that a lot in the tower, though I don’t see how...  _ His thoughts were interrupted when he heard a sword slide out of its scabbard.

 

“I’ve waited a long time for this, Harkness,” Barry said as he walked closer. Cisco, Jefferson, and Oliver pulled their own swords out, all four itching for a fight. 

 

Glancing down at Chris’s frying pan, Digger realized that it was the only “weapon” suitable for the fight. He swung wildly. Astonishingly, the first hit collided with the side of Barry’s head, and the head guard dropped like a stone. Digger grinned and deflected Cisco’s blade, aiming down in the same swing to knock him out as well. Another swing sent Jefferson falling into Oliver, knocking them both unconscious.

 

“Oh, man, I have  _ got _ to get me one of these!” Digger said as he tossed it. He laughed and waved towards Chris, who frantically pointed to something behind Digger. 

 

He turned around to see that Rick had somehow gotten ahold of a dagger, and he now had it pointed straight at Digger’s face. He nickered a warning sound before charging at Digger.

 

With a quick flick of his wrist, Digger blocked the knife with the makeshift weapon. The fight turned into a dual, and Digger felt he was about to lose. “Don’t tell anyone if I die fighting a horse! It would ruin my reputation!” he shouted over to Chris. 

 

Suddenly, Rick knocked the pan out of Digger’s grip. They both watched it fall to the ground in disbelief. 

 

“How about two out of three?” Digger asked nervously, throwing his hands up in surrender. Rick thrust the knife at him again, stopping just short of Digger’s neck.

 

“Digger! Catch!” 

 

The next thing Digger knew was hair being wrapped around one of his outstretched hands, a yank, and him falling. He saluted Rick before getting a better grip on the hair. He saw Leonard pull out his icy sword to match Mick’s stance, and kicked out at them both. “You can’t catch me! You look-”  _ Wham!  _ “-ridiculous.” Digger scrambled to get a better grip on the dam pipe that he had run into, trying to save his own life.

 

Chris winced. “Sorry! Didn’t mean that.” He turned to see that Rick had gotten his bearings back, and the horse was kicking at a support column for the dam wall. A piece of it broke away as the beam fell, and water sprayed out from the hole. The opposite end landed at Chris’s feet, creating a bridge.

 

Rick neighed again and hopped onto the beam. He trotted across, narrowing his eyes. He didn’t notice that Digger had managed to climb onto another dam pipe, nor that he still had the end of Chris’s hair.

 

“Jump!” Digger shouted, holding it up. “I’ve got it!”

 

Chris nodded at him before leaping off of the edge, twisting his hair around his arm. Rick lunged for him, but he missed by only a few centimeters. Skidding in a puddle, Chris turned to see Len and Mick giving chase, and quickly began running. “You coming?” he shouted up to Digger.

 

“Why wouldn’t I be?” Digger replied as he slid down the pipes. He grabbed the abandoned pan on the ground. “We should probably keep this,” he said, prompting an eye roll from Chris. 

 

Suddenly, the dam burst, all of the water it had been holding back before pushing down the wall and surging forward. It devoured everything in its path, knocking down pipes, support, and people. Somehow, Chris and Digger managed to stay ahead, but when the water pushed down a stalagmite, things took a turn for the even worse.

 

“There! A tunnel!” Digger said, pointing with his free hand. “Freedom!”

 

Chris nodded and gathered up the most hair he could, and both entered the cave just as the rock crashed down. “Safety,” he breathed out. 

 

“No, it’s not,” Digger said in a strained voice. “It’s a dead end.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you're wondering if Chris and Dugger's convo at the beginning seemed familiar, it is. "And how do you know this?" were Chris's last words in the movie. I had to look up his death for that convo. (Yeah, I exited out when it showed the soldiers. I didn't want to see that :( )
> 
> Mick and Len have magic-infused swords instead of flame throwers/cold guns. Why not?


	5. Chapter 5

“What? Dead end? That’s not possible!” Chris said, running to the back of the cave. He splashed in the now waist-deep water. “I thought it was a tunnel!”

 

Digger’s face showed that he shared Chris’s thought. Without answering, he dove underwater, but resurfaced only a few seconds later. “I can’t see! It’s pitch black down there!” He pushed at one of the rocks, but even with Chris’s help, it didn’t move an inch. He tried to push harder, hissing in pain when the rock cut his hand. “Sonofabitch!”

 

Chris pulled his hair back before diving under, but Digger pulled him out.

 

“I told you, I couldn’t see anything!” he said, glaring at Chris. “Didn’t you listen? There’s no point!”

 

Lowering his gaze and leaning against the wall, Chris sighed. “This is my fault. I’m getting us killed right now, if I hadn’t wanted to leave… I’m sorry, Digger.” He turned to face away from Digger, not wanting to see his face.

 

“George.”

 

Chris turned around. “What?”

 

“My real name is George Harkness, in case you thought Digger was it. I just… I wanted someone to know.” Digger shrugged, watching the ever-rising water.

 

Chris laughed and leaned against the wall again. “I can make my hair glow.” 

 

Digger’s eyes widened, looking at Chris as if he’d grown another head. “You can  _ what? _ ” 

 

“I can make my hair glow!” The realization hit Chris like a bullet, and he closed his eyes to focus. The water hit his chin just as his hair lit up with a warm glow. He dove under to see it being pulled towards a little vacuum in the rocks, and a glance to his side told him that Digger- no, he was George, now- had seen it too. 

 

With renewed vigor, they both swam towards the loose rocks and pulled them apart. Chris fell out first, straight into an adjoining river, and it didn’t take long for George to follow.

 

“Oh, we’re alive!” Chris said as soon as he breached the surface. He flopped over on the riverside, feet dangling in the water.

 

George came up coughing, wiping water off of his face. “His hair glows.”

 

“Hey, George, come here. There’s something else.”

 

“It’s never done that before???” George’s existential crisis seemed to be getting worse, so Chris threw a pebble at his head.

 

George looked up to see Chris pulling his hair out of the water. “What?”

 

“It doesn’t just glow.” Chris walked over and pulled George to his feet. “Let me show you.”

 

///////////////////////

 

Climbing onto a rock and readying his knife, Griggs watched the manhole cover for any movement. Suddenly, the reaper-emblazoned wood flipped up, two men crawling out of the sewer.

 

“I’m gonna kill him!” the bald one shouted, cracking his knuckles. “I swear, when I get my hands on Harkness-”

 

The other man laid a hand on his shoulder to cut him off. “He didn’t have the satchel, Mick. If you kill him, we’ll never get it.”

 

Mick looked at him, almost offended. “And what do  _ you  _ think we need to do? Len, the slippery bastard is getting farther away by the second!” 

Griggs chose that moment to stand and reveal himself. “I’ll tell you what I think. You should, first off, make sure no one’s around when you’re plotting murder. Second, maybe you could consider who  _ actually _ has the satchel?” 

 

Mick and Len spun around at his voice, pulling out their swords. “And what do _ you  _ know?” Len accused, eyes narrowing.

 

Pulling the satchel out from behind his back, Griggs held it high above them. “I know that I have it, for one. If it’s all you wanted, take it. I was just going to offer you something even better.” He tossed it down, watching Mick snatch it away and pull out a few diamonds.

 

“What’s the ‘even better part’?” Len asked as Griggs turned away. He nudged Mick’s shoulder to try to get his attention, but the other man was too focused on the diamonds to care.

 

“Oh, nothing. It’s just that I heard you mention a name that sounded familiar, and, well…” Griggs held up the wanted poster. “I just figured you would want revenge.”

 

At the word “revenge”, Mick finally looked up. “Oh, hell yes,” he said, grinning. “I’m game.”

 

“If he’s in, I’m in.” Len stepped closer to the rock. “What do you need us to do?”

 

//////////////////

 

“So, I’m getting weirded out by you wrapping your magic hair around my hand,” George said, in an attempt to break the silence. “Why?”

 

Chris glanced up at him, pausing in his movements. “You’ll see in a minute. Don’t worry.” He wrapped it a couple of times, then held the back of George’s hand. Closing his eyes, he focused, and his hair lit up with a soft glow once again.

 

As the glow traveled along the length of Chris’s hair, George watched it move. He felt an odd sensation pumping through his hand when the light reached it, and when it all died down and he unwrapped it, the cut had vanished. “Wha-”

 

“Don’t freak out!” Chris interrupted, pleading. “Please, don’t freak out.”

 

George looked from his hand to Chris’s face. “No, no, I’m not freaking out. I’m just very interested in what exactly your hair can do and to what extent?” He was obviously trying not to scream, by the strained smile on his face.

 

Chris held some of his hair, running his hand through it. “I’ve had this power all my life,” he said. “Don’t know why, but I have. But, if it gets cut, it loses its magic.” He pulled his hair away from his neck, where a small chunk of black hair rested. “It just darkens and goes away.”

 

“Well,” George said, “your power’s pretty cool. We could use that if I get hurt again.” He laughed, resting his chin in his hands.

 

“What about you? What’s your story?” Chris asked, moving closer. “How did George become Digger?”

 

George shrugged, leaning back. “You remember Len and Mick? Well, this one time, as a kid, I had just gotten out of jail. For stealing an old lady’s necklace, of all things! Anyway, I had nowhere to go, because my parents kicked me out for being a thief. Keep in mind, I was ten. They took me in and taught me how to me a proper thief. I haven’t been caught since! And, my skills have surpassed them, apparently. That’s why they hate me.”

 

“Stealing an old lady’s necklace? That sounds really familiar,” Chris said, tilting his head. “I feel like I’ve heard something like that before, right before I moved in with Griggs.”

 

“Yeah. They also probably hate that I believed in magic for a really long time. They kept telling me it wasn’t real, but I swear I saw it when I was a kid. Then, that accident happened, but they still hate me.” George blinked, trying to remember. “Wanna say it was healing that I saw. Not sure. Are you okay?”

 

Chris had almost frozen, color draining from his face. “I don’t remember much from my life before I moved in with Griggs, but I do remember a few things. And I think one of them is you.” He looked over, studying George carefully. “I’ve gone to jail before, too. It’s where I met Griggs, and my first friend. Now that I think about it, you look just like him.”

 

“Griggs was the guard who actually arrested me,” George said. “So, that  _ was _ you! It was real!” He stood up and pulled Chris into a hug. “I can’t believe I actually remembered something correctly!”

 

Chris pulled back and stumbled over the log. “Yeah, you were never going to find me if it hadn’t been by accident. Griggs made sure no one would find me, so if he finds out about you, there’s no telling what would happen.”

 

“He was the one who gave me the black eye, you know. I can’t believe you  _ live _ with this mongrel. He arrested me after Barry found me, and he took all of the stuff I stole. Didn’t even give it back to her,” George admitted. “He was really rough with me when he dragged me to jail. Is he ever like that to you?”

 

“Not at first,” Chris said. “It happens sometimes. If his day doesn’t go well, he yells, but it’s never physical. Probably because I kicked his ass the last time he tried it.”

 

George came closer and laid his hands on Chris’s arms. “I don’t think you should go back,” he said quietly. “I can get you out of there.”

 

Chris shook his head, moving away. “No, I’m fine. The fire’s getting low, will you get some wood? I need to be alone.” He heard George sigh and walk towards the woods, slowly, as if he was watching Chris.

 

“Well, isn’t this such a surprise?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay, backstories! They know who they are! Also, yeah, everything's typical of Griggs, right?


	6. Chapter 6

“I never thought I’d catch my lying son out here in the woods, when he’s  _ supposed  _ to be at home.” Grigg’s voice was strangely masked and emotionless, very unlike his normal tones. The man strode out of the trees, not far from where George had just entered them. 

 

Chris stepped back, picking his pan up from the ground. “How did you find me?” he asked, almost preparing for a fight. 

 

Griggs shrugged, walking into the firelight. “Listened for betrayal? Not hard to find,” he said. “We’re going home, Christopher. No need for you to stay out any longer.”

 

“What? No. I’ve learned a lot from this, even met someone. I’m not going back. Not now.” Chris held his arms behind his back. “I like him. He’s a smartass, but he’s still nice.”

 

“Ahh, yes, a thief. I’m very proud of you, now, let’s go before he comes back,” Griggs said, a slight snarl in the words. He reached forward and grabbed Chris’s elbow. “I don’t care how you feel about him, you’re not allowed to travel with him. Come on.”

 

Chris yanked his arm away. “That doesn’t matter. I’m staying.” He glanced back towards the trees, worried that George could come back. 

 

“Of course it matters. Think about it. You know he doesn’t feel the same way, why would he?” Griggs laughed, sneering. “Your imagination is running wild, and that’s  _ exactly _ why you shouldn’t be out here! Might as well just stay home.”

 

Backing up and stepping over a log, Chris glared at Griggs. “I said no. I’m not coming.”

 

Griggs crossed his arms. “Fine. If you’re so sure that he can actually stand you, then give him _ this  _ and see what he does.” He tossed the satchel to Chris, then moved to leave. “Don’t come crying to me when he leaves.” With that, Griggs strode back into the forest, Chris staring at the spot even after Griggs couldn’t be seen.

 

“Hey, uhh, does your magic hair give people super strength, because that would be really coo- ridiculous.” George came back to the clearing with a huge load of sticks, only a few minutes after Griggs had left. “Hey are you okay?”

 

Chris looked over at him. “Oh, yeah, sorry. I was thinking about stuff.”

 

George set the sticks down near the fire. “Oh. Okay. Well, the super strength thing, that would go with my super looks-”

 

“Like Floyd said, you have the power of pissing people off. Having more than one power is selfish,” Chris said, cracking a smile. He felt like he hadn’t smiled in a long time, not after what Griggs had said. 

 

“That was rude,” George said, then starting stoking the fire. “But, true. To an extent. We should probably turn in for the night, we have a long day tomorrow. We’re getting close.” He turned and smirked at Chris, who had already begun making a pillow. “I take it you’re tired?”

 

Chris nodded, sitting on the ground. “Very. Let me sleep.” He lay down, and he was out within minutes.

 

George lay down a few feet away from him. “Night.”

 

///////////////////////////////////////////////

 

The next morning, George was awoken by water on his forehead and a weight on his chest. The first thing he saw was a dripping wet, brown horse muzzle in his face, and he knew it was Rick. The weight, however…

 

Chris had somehow managed to curl up right next to George in his sleep, wrapping his arms around George’s neck. His head rested underneath the other man’s chin, and he was muttering something. 

 

George looked back up at Rick. “Shh. He’s asleep,” he whispered. 

 

“Mmm, you can jump, George… It’s only 20 stories…” Chris mumbled, burying his face in George’s chest. “You’ll be fine.”

 

George looked up at Rick, who had the same horrified look on his face. Rick snapped out of it and neighed loudly, scaring Chris awake and away from them both.

 

“What the hell?” Chris exclaimed, panting. “What’s going on?”

 

Grabbing George’s boot, Rick began dragging him away. He ignored George’s struggling, but huffed when he managed to get away. He kept the abandoned shoe in his mouth as he stalked forward.

 

Chris shot to his feet and got between the two. “Hey, calm it, horse. He’s my guide, and I don’t give a shit if you want him arrested. When I get home- if I go back- then you can have him. Understand?” He stepped forward and stole the boot from Rick. 

 

“Wait, does that mean he’s coming with us?” George spluttered out. “No way!” He was thrown back by the force of a shoe to his face.

 

Ignoring George again, Chris reached forward and adjusted Rick’s name tag. “This says ‘Richard’, but we’re calling him Rick. Shut up and let’s go.” He decided to store his pan in Rick’s saddle, just to keep his hands free.

 

“Rick? I’m gonna call you Dick,” George grumbled when Rick walked past him. He was rewarded with a sharp kick to the stomach. “Fine. Rick. You’re still a dick, though.” Even though he whispered the last part, he was still kicked again. He looked up to see Chris glaring at them. 

 

“Really?” Chris deadpanned. “Stop fighting. I found the path to the kingdom, so maybe if you two catch up, we can get going.” He turned around and pushed aside a few branches to reveal a bridge, leading straight to the island kingdom. “Time to see Central Kingdom.” He strode off at a leisurely pace.

 

Walking behind Chris on the path, George watched out for any guards coming their way. He spotted another one of his wanted posters and picked it up. Crumpling up the worst one he had found (really? Super thin and sticking out  _ that _ far? Don’t think so.), he shoved it into Rick’s mouth. In his defense, the horse was snickering at him. Rick spat it out into his face, just to be petty.

 

“How many times?” Chris asked, crossing his arms. He raised an eyebrow when George ripped the paper away from his face and immediately pointed at Rick.

 

“His fault.”

 

“No fighting in the city,” Chris said, trying to gather his hair. “You’ll get noticed.” He strode in, looking around in curiosity.

 

George sped up to walk next to him. “Everything you expected?” he asked, nudging Chris’s shoulder.

 

Glancing over, Chris shrugged. “So far,” he said, shrugging. “I didn’t expect there to be so many people.” It was true, the streets were packed with people. They stepped on the trail of hair Chris unfortunately left, with no regard for it. 

 

“I have an idea,” George said as he saw three little boys braiding something. “D’ya think they could help us?” He walked over to the man watching over them. “Sorry to disturb you, but…” His voice lowered to a whisper, and Chris couldn’t hear any words exchanged. George came back, pointing back to him.

 

“That’s Bruce, and those are his three sons. They’re ropers, and they’re willing to fix that,” George said, gesturing to Chris’s hair. “Not cutting, or anything, but keeping it out of the way.”

 

The man walked over, the three little boys in tow. “They’re better at this than I am. Jason, Dick, Tim, go ahead.”

 

“You mean, braid it?” the smallest one asked, looking at Chris’s hair with glee. “Yeah!” 

 

The boys rushed forward, and within minutes, turned the bundle of hair into a braid that reached Chris’s ankles. They hopped back to admire their work.

 

Chris pulled it over his shoulder to take a look. “Thank you, this is much better.” He looked over at their father, who was watching them. “You, too.”

 

Bruce shook his head. “No need to thank me.” He turned away, and the three boys quickly followed him back to their booth. Dick turned around to wave, but Jason and Tim pulled him back.

 

“Now that it’s easier to move, you want to keep going?” George asked, linking his arm with Chris’s. “I’ve got some ideas.”

 

Chris glanced down at their arms, then nodded. “Go ahead.” He let George pull him around the city, trying foods he’d never had, seeing things he never thought he would. He kept glancing towards the water, and eventually George must have seen it.

 

“What, you’ve never been on a boat before?” he asked, finishing a cupcake.

 

“No, I don’t think so. I want to.” Chris looked out over the lake, watching the water move. “It’s a bit different when it’s not trying to kill you, isn’t it?”

 

George walked over to join him. “You’re right. Much prettier.” He didn’t say that he wasn’t looking at the water, but when Chris glanced over, he had to look away. “Hey, I saw a canoe rental station on our way over here, do you want me to get one?”

 

Chris smiled a bit. “Sure, I guess,” he said, trying to hide how much he wanted it.

 

The two walked over to the booth, where a teenage boy was resting his feet on the counter. He looked up at their footsteps and set his book aside. “Hi, how can I help you?”

 

“Just renting a boat for… How long is it until sunset?” George asked.

 

The boy jumped over the counter and looked behind the station. “An hour? Hour and a half? No idea.” He sat on the counter and grabbed his logbook. “Twenty five an hour. I’d recommend two, so you have time to find a spot.” His eyes flicked between Chris and George, a knowing smirk appearing. 

 

“Two, then,” George said as he handed some coins to him.

 

“Cool. Canoe for a canoe,” the boy muttered as he scribbled it all down in the book.

 

Chris blinked, looking at the boy. “Canoe for a canoe? What?”

 

The boy looked up with innocent blue eyes. “What? Oh, yeah, watch out for a guy who came through just before you did.” He pointed towards the water just as a man with white hair sped past, laughing at his darker haired companion in the boat. “He apparently likes speeding around much faster than allowed. Lemme go get your canoe ready.” He hopped the counter again, shouting for a “Warren” that was probably his brother.

 

“Shut  _ up _ , Jay!” another voice yelled, with the exasperation of someone who just heard a pun. George snickered as Jay sulked back to the front.

 

“He kicked me out,” Jay said, crossing his arms. “Come on, it’s all set up.” He actually used the little door at the end of the counter, his hair bouncing a bit with his uneven walk. He led them to a small dock, where a canoe was floating. “Please don’t let your horse come with you.”

 

Chris had honestly forgotten about Rick following them until Jay pointed it out. “Oh, no, he’s staying here. Right, Rick?”

 

Rick rolled his eyes and stepped back onto land. He nickered, as if saying,  _ “You think I’m going out on the water? Hell no.”  _

 

Jay laughed at him, then threw him an apple. “Enjoy. Remember, two hours.” He walked back to the booth, probably jumping over the counter again. (Teenagers.)

 

“I’m driving,” George said quickly, hopping into the boat. “Come on, it’ll be fine.”

 

Almost reluctantly, Chris joined him, carefully stepping inside. He wobbled and nearly fell before George caught him. Moving back, he looked towards the now-setting sun. “He was right,” he mumbled, then looked back at George. “Where are we going?”

 

“Middle of the lake,” George announced, dipping the paddles in the water. “Best spot in the kingdom.” He began rowing, taking his time. After a while, he asked,  “What did you mean by ‘it’s only 20 stories’?”

 

Chris looked at him, confused. “I never said anything about 20 stories.”

 

George nodded, pulling the paddles inside when he realized they had reached the center. “In your sleep, this morning. You said that I could jump, it’s only 20 stories, I’ll be fine.”

 

“I don’t remember last night’s dream, sorry,” Chris said. He looked away, behind his seat. “But I do need to talk to you about something.”

 

“What is it?” George scooted closer, tilting his head. “I’m getting worried.”

 

Sighing, Chris pulled the satchel out from behind his seat. “I need to give you this. I… had it the whole time. I shouldn’t have kept it from you.” He took a deep breath before continuing. “In all honestly, I was scared. But now, I’m not. You know what I mean?” He handed it over, watching George for his reaction.

 

George’s face had gone slack, shocked that he had finally gotten his bag back. He then placed it beside him and took Chris’s hands in his own. “I do.” He leaned forward, reaching up. “I’m not scared anymore, either.” 

 

“I don’t want to go back,” Chris whispered, eyes closing. “I’ve realized how much I’m missing, and I don’t want that any more.” He felt George’s hand touch his shoulder. “I want you to come with me.”

 

As he opened his eyes, he saw that George had frozen, staring off at something on the shore. “George? Did you hear me?”

 

“Oh, yeah, I did. I would love to. I just need to take care of something.” George glanced over Chris’s shoulder, where Mick and Len were waiting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chris is a sleep-snuggler and talker and you can't tell me otherwise. (Dugger has lost 19 years off his life from that shit.)
> 
> No, that's not Jay Garrick as a teenager, running a canoe shop. It's me. I'm genderfluid, and was identifying on the masculine side when I wrote this chapter, so that's why I used he pronouns. I also have a limp- that's why it was "uneven walking". 
> 
> Two canoes for canoes- Chris and Dugger in one, Kurt and Pietro in the other. Flashback to the 31 day writing challenge when I told y'all about them lmao
> 
> And the 'staches! Forgot to mention- if you didn't catch it, the first was Mario, the second was Fili, and this last one was Sportacus. If someone makes wanted posters with these, I will love you forever holy shit


	7. Chapter 7

The bottom of the canoe scraped along the shore as George rowed closer. He hopped out and pulled it halfway onto land, grunting with effort. “I’ll be right back. I have to do this.” He leaned forward and grabbed the satchel, but Chris grabbed his wrist when he tried to leave.

 

“Will you promise?” he asked, his concern showing on his face.

 

George slipped his hand to the back of Chris’s neck, pulling him into a quick kiss. “Promise.” He left with the satchel, trying not to look back at Chris. He stopped at the edge of the woods. Steeling himself to meet his former mentors, he walked in, immediately spotting Leonard sitting on a rock.

 

“I was wondering where you were,” Len said, studying his sword. “You left us.”

 

“You are right, and I stole the diamonds from you. But, here you go, I don’t want them anymore.” George threw the satchel over. “You can have ‘em.” He turned around, fully intending on leaving, but he ran right into Mick.

 

The other man had a smirk on his face. “You’re holding out on us again, Digger.”

 

George backed away. “What?”

 

Sheathing his sword, Leonard stood up to join them. “Rumors fly, you know. Rumors that you have something that’s ten times more valuable than diamonds.” He stopped in front of George, crossing his arms. “We want him instead.”

 

Mick suddenly grabbed George’s shoulders, keeping him in place. “And you’re gonna forget him.”

 

///////////////////////////////////////

 

Chris paced the beach, worry overtaking him. Whatever it was that George had to do shouldn’t have taken  _ this _ long, should it? He touched his lips again, remembering what George had done before he left.  _ Griggs was wrong _ , he thought.  _ I have a chance _ . He looked up as a silhouette appeared in the woods. “Oh, there you are. Thought you left.”

 

The shape split into two as Leonard came out from behind Mick. “That’s funny.”

 

“He did,” Mick finished. Both men laughed, enjoying it.

 

Chris shook his head and grabbed for his pan, but he had forgotten it in Rick’s saddle pouches. He raised his fists instead. “He wouldn’t.”

 

Len pointed towards a boat that was steadily floating away. “Go on, take a look.”

 

Squinting, Chris could barely make out the figure at the wheel. He realized with dread that it was George, going against everything he had said. “No.”

 

“It was a pretty fair trade. He got the diamonds, we got the magic hair.” Leonard turned to Mick. “How much do you think someone would pay for something like this?”

 

Mick shrugged, moving closer. “Enough to keep us from stealing, ever again.” He pulled out his sword. “I say we take it.”

 

Chris narrowed his eyes and steadied himself, watching them both. He knew he could take at least one of them down, but which one? He began moving backward, but stopped when he heard a shout.

 

Griggs suddenly slid between Chris and Len, punching the latter in the face. He roundhouse kicked Mick in the stomach, and Chris snapped out of his confusion to join the fight. As Len fell to the ground, unconscious, Griggs turned to Chris. “And this is why you should have stayed.”

 

“You were right,” Chris said, sighing. “He left.”

 

“Are you ready to come home?” Griggs asked, trying to make Chris look at him. 

 

Nodding, Chris finally looked up.  “We should go before they wake up.” He stepped over Mick’s body, brushing past Griggs. 

 

“I was worried about you,” Griggs said, keeping pace. “That’s why I looked for you.”

 

Chris turned around to look back at George’s boat. He didn’t say anything, a lump forming in his throat.

 

“I tried to tell you. I really did.” Griggs took Chris’s arm and pulled him towards the woods. “We shouldn’t be very far.”

 

////////////////////////////////////////

 

Barry looked up as he heard a boat moving closer, then squinted at the person inside when it bumped up against the docks. He looked around to make sure he was alone, then dashed down to the deck instantly. He saw that the man was comatose and tied to the wheel. Hmm. Noticing a satchel hanging on the man’s arm, Barry opened it and gasped. If those were the royal diamonds, then- 

 

George jolted awake when he felt his shoulder being roughly jostled. “Where am I?” he asked, not fully comprehending his surroundings.

 

“Digger Harkness, you’re under arrest for thievery,” Barry said, untying George from the wheel. He yanked George’s hands behind his back, handcuffing him easily.

 

“Wait, wait, where’s Chris? He’s in danger, I need to find him!” George struggled, wincing when his wrists scraped on the chains. “Let me go!”

 

Flicking his ears, Rick turned when he heard shouting nearby. He nosed Jay, who had come to visit him, to try to tell her to leave, but she just patted his muzzle again. 

 

“Aww, you’re cute,” she said, running her other hand through his mane. Rick neighed and pulled away, causing the human to pout. “What, are you done?”

 

To Jay’s surprise, Rick actually nodded before running off to see the commotion. He watched George fight against Barry, and Cisco ran up to assist him. Realizing that he had heard George shouting about Chris, and that George was being arrested, Rick made a split-second decision. He knew exactly who could help. He dashed away, heading straight towards Belle Reve Bar.

 

//////////////////////////////////////////

 

“There. Nothing happened, see? We can forget everything.” Griggs pulled apart the last bit of braid, all of the work that the triplets had done amounting to nothing. “Things will be just the way they used to be.”

 

Chris only nodded, already missing the outside. He didn’t look up as Griggs stood.

 

“I’m sorry things turned out this way,” Griggs said, walking away. “But, I told you they would, so you can’t blame me.” He left the room, sliding the drapes shut.

 

Flopping back on his bed, Chris stared at the ceiling. He tried to think about everything that he had learned, but his mind kept wandering back to George. He couldn’t figure out why George had left, why he had broken his promise. Maybe if Chris found him, he could at least get answers. He remembered the kiss, and wondered if George had really meant  _ that _ . And how he reacted to Chris telling him who he lived with was kind of shocking. He knew that he couldn’t stay in the tower any longer.

 

Chris sat up, steeling himself. He realized that he needed to leave, now, before George was caught. He shot out of the room and rushed to the window.

 

“And where do you think you’re going?” Griggs asked, coming out of his room. He crossed his arms. “I thought you said you’re never leaving the tower again. You’re being contradictory.”

 

“I can’t stay here,” Chris said. “I have to find him.” He tried to open the shutters, but they were locked.

 

Griggs walked over, twirling a keychain. “You have nowhere to go. Your little thief friend has been arrested, and he’s about to be hanged for his crimes. You would never get there in time.” 

 

Chris turned, eyes widening. “No.”

 

“Yep. Might as well stay here,” Griggs stated, flipping the key in the air. “No use in going.”

 

Chris snatched the key away, backing up. “No. It’s not possible, he’d never get caught. You’re lying.”

 

Griggs smirked. “How could I be lying when I was the one who got him arrested in the first place? I told those two thieves about everything, and they did the rest. Digger is  _ dead _ .”

 

“You are never allowed to use my hair ever again,” Chris growled, pushing Griggs out of the way to unlock the shutters. Suddenly, he felt chains being slapped onto his wrists, and a cloth tied around his mouth. A sharp blow to the back of his knees knocked him to the floor.

 

“You’re not going anywhere,” Griggs said as he yanked on the chain. “Right here is your home, and you are _ not _ leaving.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> p r o m i s e k i s s
> 
> Yeah, same Jay, just fem identifying. I would do that in a heartbeat. 
> 
> The "That's funny." line had to go in as well. Best line from Snart, imo
> 
> Barry does have powers, he just couldn't use them until now.


	8. Chapter 8

Pulling on the bars, George grunted when he couldn’t move them. The cell was inescapable, at least, in one day. He knew that he wouldn’t have much more time before-

 

“Digger, you need to come with me.” Barry opened the cell door, reaching forward and handcuffing George once again. “Don’t fight me on this.”

 

George saw Cisco and Jefferson standing behind Barry. He sighed and nodded, deciding not to take a chance. He walked between them silently, and he wished he hadn’t left that canoe.

 

Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed that Len and Mick had been taken as well, and both were sitting in their own cell. George narrowed his eyes and knocked Cisco away from him, jumping his chains. He grabbed Mick’s shirt and pulled him against the bars. “How did you find out about him?” he yelled.

 

“It wasn’t us! It was that old guard guy!” Len answered, walking across the cell. “He told us everything!”

 

Old guard guy? George growled as he realized who Len was talking about. “Let me go! Chris is in danger!” he pleaded when Barry yanked him away. “I have to save him!”

 

Cisco jumped forward to grab his arm, Jefferson grabbing the other. They pulled the still yelling George into a hallway, following Barry. George glanced to his left. A tiny stormcloud sat in an alcove, and a rat was running in and out of the rain. It looked like Mark’s work, and that Bella was having quite a bit of fun.

 

Suddenly, the doors at the ends of the hallway slammed shut. Barry stepped forward and banged on the door. “Open up!”

 

The panel on the door slid open. “Password?” James asked, a stupid grin on his face.

 

“Let us through!” Barry demanded. He glared, trying to convince James to open the door.

 

“Nope!”

 

“Dammit, open the door!”

 

“Not even close!” James’s smirk had gotten wider, and he slid the panel shut again.

 

As Barry was distracted with James, part of the ceiling came away. Chato poked his head out and grabbed Jefferson under his arms, yanking the guard in with him. Roy opened a nearby door and pulled Cisco into the little room.

 

Barry turned around. “Alright, guys, I- Where’d they go?”

 

George feigned innocence, shrugging. “No idea, mate. They just vanished.”

 

The door behind Barry opened silently, and Hartley stepped out. George smiled when he noticed Hartley’s weapon, and began laughing when he used the frying pan to knock the inattentive Barry unconscious. 

 

“Isn’t that a great weapon?” George said between laughs. His glee was cut short when the other door blasted down, and many guards swarmed through.

 

Hartley grabbed George’s wrist and let Bella crawl up his other arm. “This way!” He let go as George ran with him, and they skidded to a stop in front of Harley.

 

She smiled and stepped away from the wall. “I know what to do,” she said before Hartley could say anything. They high-fived before Hartley and George took off down the hallway, guards turning the corner as they disappeared from view.

 

The guards collided with each other, noticing Harley. She waved cutely at them. “Hiya, boys. What’s up?” She grinned, then looked down the adjacent hallway. “Hey, Waylon!” 

 

Looking down the hallway, the guards screamed as Waylon came barreling towards them. He bashed into them and ran them out of the window.

 

“Bye!” Harley shouted after them.

 

Meanwhile, George and Hartley had made into the courtyard. “What now?” George asked, looking around as guards streamed out of the building. Hartley shrugged and dashed off.

 

Floyd ran up and grabbed George’s shoulders, yanking him into a specific spot. “Don’t thrash. It’ll feel weird as shit, but  _ do not move _ .”

 

“Don’t move? What the hell are you talking about?” George’s interrogation was cut short when Shawna popped up beside him. 

 

She linked their arms and held up a telescope. “I don’t want to drop you,” she said, looking up at the opposite wall. She concentrated, and she and George were suddenly standing on the top of the wall.

 

George struggled to catch his balance. “Floyd was right,” he said, sounding a little queasy. He didn’t get a chance to recover, as Shawna took him down to the bridge, right where Rick was waiting.

 

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, you broke me out only to put me back in???” George protested, pointing to Rick. “This is bullshit!”

 

“He came and got us!” Shawna whacked George’s arm with her telescope. “He didn’t want you in there! Go save your prince in peril, or whatever the hell is going on. I have to go get the others before they get arrested, too.” With that, she disappeared, and George was left to haul himself into Rick’s saddle.

 

Rick neighed as George sat up. He tilted his head towards the path, where he knew the tower was waiting.

 

“Thanks for bringing them, I guess. We better go,” George mumbled, looking away. Apparently, Rick had understood, and the horse took off at a gallop. He leaped over the guards that were coming their way, nearly throwing the inexperienced George off of his back, and continued, not breaking a sweat.

 

“There it is! The clearing! We’re nearly there!” George said as he pointed towards the vine hangings. “Go!” They burst through.

 

Rick skidded to a stop in front of the tower, George leaping off. “Stay here!” he demanded as he pulled something out of his jacket. He ran up to the base, clutching his boomerangs just in case. (Why was it that he could only use them for climbing? That is not the intended use!)

 

“Chris! Chris, are you there?” Throw down your hair!” he shouted, desperate. When nothing happened, he leaped forward and stabbed his boomerang into the stone, pulling himself up. He reached up to do it again, but the shutters opened, and light brown hair came cascading down. Sighing in relief, George stuck one boomerang in his mouth and the other back in his jacket as he grabbed the hair. He climbed the tower as quickly as he could.

 

“I thought I’d never see you again!” he said as he clambered through the window. He barely registered Chris on the other side of the room, chained to a wall and gagged, before a sharp pain broke out in his gut. He dropped, clutching his stomach.

 

Griggs stepped out from behind him. “And now, our secret will die with him,” he said smugly as he tossed the dagger away. He walked over the Chris and detached the chains at the wall. “You’re coming with me, and no one will find us.”

 

Chris began pulling away, and somehow he managed to get the fabric low enough to speak. “I can’t let you do this!” He fell back as Griggs punched him, but continued protesting. “I won’t stop fighting. Won’t stop trying to get away. But, if you let me heal him, I’ll go.” He scowled, trying to move away.

 

“No, Chris, don’t do this!” George whispered, reaching out. “You’ll die!”

 

“You’ll die if I don’t help you!” Chris shot back, not looking over. “Please, just let me heal him and everything will go back to normal. Just like you want, right?”

 

Griggs sighed in defeat. “Fine.” He took the handcuffs off of Chris and walked over to George, fastening them around his wrist. He attached the chain to the wall, and, for good measure, slapped George. “Just in case you want to follow us.” He left, and immediately, Chris dropped to his knees next to him.

 

“I’m sorry you got caught up in this,” Chris said as he gathered some of his hair. “I knew I shouldn’t have left.”

 

“No, you should have. Don’t beat yourself up about this.” George pushed the bundle of hair away from his wound. “No. Just leave me here.”

 

Chris shook his head and pushed closer. “I have to save you, let me do this!” He stopped when George sat up, pulling him into a hug. “I don’t want you to die!”

 

“You shouldn’t die, either,” George said as he grabbed Chris’s hair. Using the boomerang that Chris hadn’t noticed was in his hand, he sliced the hair at Chris’s waist. It rapidly darkened, starting at the roots and traveling to the rest of the hair.

 

Chris dropped the now black bundle in his hands. “What- No!” He watched as Griggs stumbled back from the hair, shouting the same.

 

“This can’t be happening!” Griggs said as every year he hadn’t aged caught up to him. “This- Impossible!”

 

George fell back, the boomerang clattering to the floor. Chris gently let him down and grabbed it. “This is your fault,” he said, preparing to throw. “If you hadn’t killed him-”

 

“No, _ you _ killed him. It all began with you!” Griggs stalked forward, but stopped short when the boomerang lodged itself in his chest. He managed to catch Chris’s glower, and realise that he had thrown it, before he collapsed.

 

Chris felt a weight lift off of his chest. Griggs was dead. He had no one to fear. But, no one to love, either. He turned back to George’s body, tears welling up. “You shouldn’t have died,” he whispered, bowing his head. “It shouldn’t have gone this way.”

 

A tear slipped out, landing on George’s cheek. It vanished, soaking into the skin as if it were paper. A light appeared and traveled down to the lesion. Chris watched in shock as the light spilled out, illuminating the entire room. “What?” he breathed out, then looked down as he felt George move. “Hey, look at me,” he said, gently touching George’s face.

 

“Are you an angel? Is this Heaven?” George asked, squinting up at Chris. “Didn’t know my guardian angel would look like the man I think I just saved.”

 

Chris laughed. “George, focus.”

 

“Yeah, I’m focusing. You’re beautiful. I think I might be in love.” George reached up and slid his hand onto Chris’s neck. “Can angels love?”

 

“George, you’re not dead,” Chris said, leaning down. “I don’t know how, but I still saved you.”

 

George’s hand shot away as he realized. “Oh! Shit. Did I say that out loud? Where’s-”

 

Chris cut him off by lunging forward, kissing him suddenly. He wrapped his arms around George’s neck, and he felt George steady them. He pulled back. “That was uncalled for. Sorry.” 

 

“No, that was needed,” George said, leaning his forehead against Chris’s. “I’ve been wanting to do that again.” He smirked and took Chris’s hair. “Hey, you could do those braids again, you know, the ones you had when we met?”

 

“Yeah, the little nooses at the ends were pretty appropriate, with my skills,” Chris said, laughing. He pulled George into a hug. “I still can’t believe you’re alive.”

 

George stood up and helped Chris to his feet. “Well, I have an idea of where to go, now. Our ride’s waiting out front, would you like to come with me?” He offered his hand, and Chris took it with a smile.

 

“Lead the way, tour guide.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading this! I had a lot of fun writing it!
> 
> Squad/Rogue friendship ftw. Shawna got everyone out, and because Lisa probably told her to, got Len and Mick out, too. 
> 
> Dugger is me. Just like, "omg is this heaven bc you're beautiful wait am i still alive"
> 
> James is a little shit and he's awesome (not just bc Mark Hamill but bc Trickster). And, yeah, Harley would totally distract the guards.

**Author's Note:**

> My writing/art blog is bluejayartandwriting.tumblr.com! 
> 
> My friend, fangorn-phantump, and I came up with this AU a while ago. Another friend, jakeyjakepuppers on Instagram, helped as well. I saw my chance with the challenge and took it! Both are beta-readers for this fic!
> 
> Next week's prompt: A story about three siblings.


End file.
